Job Description

The Teacher Assistant I will assist the Head Teacher in providing a supportive, respectful, safe, and healthy environment for children enrolled in YWCA Hartford Region Early Learning Centers, including but not limited to implementing activities geared to meet the developing needs of a large group of children and challenge the interests of the children productively and safely.

Essential Functions of the Job:

Curriculum Delivery

• Assists in planning, developing, and delivering classroom and outdoor curriculum to meet the physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of each child, enabling children to develop and grow in their interests and abilities;
• Assists in the development of short and long-term goals for the improvement of class programs;
• Implements individual Support Plans;
• Supports student activities through direct participation with children;

Classroom Management

• Assists in maintaining an orderly, safe, healthy, and inviting environment per accreditation;
• Ensures appropriate classroom behavior management, supporting children by providing positive guidance and redirection;
• Implements YWCA Hartford Region’s Positive Guidance Policies;
• Performs various support duties such as snack preparation, delivery, and clean-up; and monitoring of bathroom facilities, etc.;
• Develops and maintains positive ongoing communication with parents sensitively and responsively;
• Assumes daily classroom responsibilities in the absence of the Head Teacher I or II;

Compliance and Reporting

• Follows defined OEC and YWCA Hartford Region’s protocols for reporting suspected child abuse and neglect;
• Assists Head Teacher I and II with completing developmental observations and assessments as outlined in the program requirements;
• Reports all child-related incidents and completes Incident Reports within 1 hour;
• Utilizes the YWCA Hartford Region’s Name-to-Face Accountability and Ratio sheets to ensure proper accountability and safety of children, licensing, and the agency’s health and safety standards;
• Complies with all Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) procedures and documentation requirements;
• Maintains student confidentiality per YWCA Hartford Region policies;
• Reports and documents all work-related injuries to the Site Manager immediately;
• Attends Sanctuary Training, and other job-related trainings and seminars, and researches ways to keep up with the latest information and best practices within the field; and
• Other duties as assigned.

EOE

Requirements

Education:

High School Diploma or GED.

Experience:

Demonstrated ability to develop age-appropriate exhibits and activities for the classroom;

Basic knowledge of the principles of Child Development; and

18 years of age or older

Certifications and Licenses:

CPR/First Aid certification or certification within two months of employment.

Schedule:

This is a full-time exempt position. Standard hours of operation are Monday–Friday, 6:45 am – 6:15 pm. The work schedule and hours will be defined by the Department Head or direct supervisor. Due to the nature of the work, some evening hours may be required.

Key Competencies:

Seeks to cultivate and develop professional working relationships with key stakeholders, i.e., staff, volunteers, interns, board members, etc.;

Demonstrated skill in understanding others;

Engages in (or commits to) personal and professional development;

Demonstrates a willingness to examine one’s assumptions and attitudes;

Maintains productive work relationships while considering multiple perspectives;

Demonstrates awareness of one’s and others’ life experiences and their relevance in the workplace;

Experience resolving conflicts effectively; and

Promotes a respectful work environment in which concerns are addressed effectively.

Skills:

Approachability: Listens; allows adequate time for interactions; creates a supportive communication environment;

Composure: Responds to information and situations in a self-controlled manner;

Customer Focus: Builds effective relationships with customers, identifies customer expectations, tries to see issues from their point of view, and offers practical solutions to concerns;

Emotional Intelligence: Recognizes and values the differences and uniqueness of others. Empathetically and respectfully accepts these differences and works cooperatively and sincerely to optimize the contributions of all individuals;

Ethics and Integrity: Makes decisions and conducts oneself in a manner consistent with the organization's mission. Treats all individuals in the work environment with respect. Demonstrates high personal standards of acceptance and openness to others. Accepts responsibility for their actions;

Personal Accountability: Accepts responsibility for own actions, embraces experiences as learning opportunities;

Self-Development: Accepts responsibility for own continued education, learning, and growth;

Results Oriented: Directs behavior to emphasize the achievement of organization goals and core values;

Technical Skills: Possesses the knowledge and abilities necessary to perform the required job elements to establish standards;

Trust and Respect: Offers respect to all in the work environment, adheres to high personal standards of acceptance, reliability, openness, and consistency of action with words; and

Work Relationships: Builds productive relationships in the workplace.